Environmental workers continued their clean up operations

Environmental workers continued their clean up operations several days after a major oil spill was spotted off the coast of Kalba on Tuesday.

The kilometre-long spill, the source of which is still under investigation, has been confined to a small corner of the breakwater on Khor Kalba.

Specialised personnel from several departments, including the Armed Forces, the Coast Guard, the Environment and Protected Areas Authority in Sharjah (EPAA) and the Abu Dhabi Company for Onshore Petroleum Operations LTD (ADCO) were pressed into action earlier this week and continue to battle the slick.

Sharjah Police have cordoned off a large swathe of the sprawling beach and fishing activities are restricted from the affected area.

Here, clean-up crews placed floating booms to contain a slick of black oil still visible on the surface which has also blackened areas along the beach.

There was no visible impact on wildlife on the nearby shore but marine life beneath the waves has been affected, said authorities.

A fisherman working from the beach told Gulf News that his colleagues spotted the slick as early as last Wednesday and one of them reported it to the Coast Guard.

“Initially we were told stop fishing but when most of the spill was cleared we are back at work, though big portion of the beach is still cordoned off,” Manzurul Islam, a Bangladeshi fisherman based in Kalba.

Another fisherman added that though the authorities have done a great job in containing the spill and clearing it quickly, damage has been caused to the natural habitat.

Though, the source of the spill is still not known, fishermen speculate that it could be a result of an oil leak from a tanker, however, it is not clear how it washed ashore.

“There have been a few oil spills recently, there was one last month near Al Aqah, which also caused considerable damage. Apart from affecting our business the spills could cause long-term damage to the marine life,” said a fisherman on conditions of anonymity.

According to EPAA, more than 80 per cent of the spill has been cleared and investigations are underway to determine its source.

In a statement issued on Monday, Hana Saif Al Suwaidi, Chairperson of the EPAA, warned of severe action against those found guilty of damage to the environment.

“Depending on the environmental impact, there will be severe repercussions on those found responsible and measures will be taken accordingly,” she said.

She added that oil spills have an impact on marine flora and fauna and all efforts are being made to limit the damage.

Several oil spills have been reported in the UAE over the last decade, particularly on the east coast, the most recent being a two-kilometre long area affected in Al Aqah last month.

Another two-kilometre long slick was reported in 2013 in Fujairah, while in 2012 beaches in Kalba were affected by a major spill of crude oil.

To address the growing environmental hazards resulting from oil spills and other chemical disposals, in 2014 the UAE made several changes to its Environment Protection Law of 1999.

The law imposes, among other things, liability for oil spills on the owners of ships found guilty of dumping the oil.

The law requires the ship owners to clear the wreckage if any and the hazardous substances within 14 days, failure to do so would result in heavy fines as well as the cost incurred by the authorities for the clean up operations

source : gulfnews